After scoring his penalty-shot goal in the second period of the Flames 8-1 shellacking of the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night, Matt Stajan immediately pointed to the heavens with his right hand to honour his son, Emerson, who less than three weeks ago passed way shortly after he was born.

“That one means a lot,” Stajan said. “It’s been not easy, and that one’s for the little guy. It felt good and gave us some puck luck, too. We’ll move on now, but I’ll remember that one forever.

“It’s a nice story for my family and for my wife. We got the puck and we’ll keep that with him forever.”

The Flames sit in 26th place in the overall standings, but you could be excused for thinking they had won the Stanley Cup with the jubilation that followed.

It wasn’t because it was part of a one-sided win over their rivals.

It was for a player who’s dealing with something nobody would wish on another.

“It was amazing,” winger Brian McGrattan said. “He’s one my closest buddies on the team and to see him score … that’s probably the loudest our bench has cheered all year.

“It’s been a big week for him just coming back, getting comfortable playing, but it was huge for our team. Everybody was pushing to hug him when he came to the bench.”

Stajan finished the night with four points, which tied a career-high, but the goal meant the most, a tally he’s hoping his wife, Katie, along with family in Calgary watched and relished.

Then again, the reaction from the Flames family was also worth enjoying.

“I love all my teammates. They’ve been so supportive. All their wives have been so supportive to me and my wife and my family,” he said. “We’re a big family here. We’ve got a great group and to share that with those guys is very special.”